News and notes from around the MMA world …

- We have a full write-up on the latest EXC from last weekend featuring Kimbo Slice knocking out Tank Abbott.

- Speaking of the fight, there’s a ton of media surrounding the outcome.

The Miami Hurricanes newspaper has thoughts on Kimbo.
The Miami Herald has it’s take on Kimbo.
What’s next for Kimbo Slice?
What did Kimbo and Tank make for less than a minute of fighting?
Bryan Alvarez reports that Showtime did 522,000 viewers for the fight.

- HDNet Fights and Randy Couture apparently have a contract together that starts when his contract with UFC is over.

- Dave Meltzer has more on HDNet and Mark Cuban entering the fray.

- Brock Lesnar looks to have done a top five UFC buyrate.

- Frank Mir says he needs one more win to be in line for a title shot.

- Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have been talking to Mark Cuban, but he’s working for Vince McMahon.

Talking Points

EXC took a lot of flack from the hardcore MMA fan base for putting Kimbo Slice up against Tank Abbott as the main event of their big show last weekend. As I said last week, it’s a much different approach from a show that also happened last week, WEC 32. That event showcased smaller fighters and more technical bouts, while the EXC show was fixated around the freak show main event. At the end of the day, as far as I’m concerned, it’s about having a business model that works. If the EXC can utilize main events that help them make money that might not be your prototypical MMA fight, so be it. Watching that show, Kimbo Slice looked like a huge star. They need to figure out a way to keep him at that level and find more eye balls. I don’t know if they are THE ALTERNATIVE, but they definitely have someone who can draw a crowd in his hometown (over 7,000 in Miami vs. a little over 4,000 for Carlos Condit in Albuquerque) and possibly get some folks to give it a shot.

News and notes from around the MMA world …

- I wrote a review on Matt Hughes’ new biography and let’s just say that it’s lacking.

- If you missed UFC 81 (and if you did, you need to check out the replay) we blogged it live while it was happening.

- Fox Sports has photos from UFC 81.

- Dave Meltzer thinks Brock Lesnar showed superstar potential in his loss to Frank Mir.

- The lineups are official for the next two UFC cards.

- Dana White doesn’t think Kimbo Slice would fare well in the UFC. He also thinks they could have their own ranking system sometime in the future.

- It looks like Chuck Liddell vs. Shogun Rua is happening at UFC 85.

- Todd Martin says that Minotauro Nogueira is never far from victory.

Talking Points

I was definitely wrong about both outcomes of the double main event at UFC 81. More importantly, I was also wrong about how exciting of a card it would be. UFC 81 was definitely one of the better UFC cards of late, and if it’s true that there were more first time PPV buyers for this show than ever, those folks got to see what makes MMA an action packed sport. I myself was watching the show at my parents’ house with a few non-hardcore fans. My father used to enjoy watching boxing and with some great hype, my mom can get into it too. Both seemed to be entertained and my dad stated the thing he didn’t like most about the sport was that you could take a beating and then pull off a submission and still win. I guess he wasn’t too fond of Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira pulling wins out with submissions. I may have also hyped Brock Lesnar up too much because after he tapped out, there was a bit of a deflated feel in the room. But the feeling was still that he was a monster.

While it would’ve been better for Mir had Tim Sylvia won the belt, I still think that coming out of this fight, he has the most buzz of possible heavyweight contenders not named Randy Couture. While Fabricio Werdum had a nice victory in January over Gabriel Gonzaga, Nogueira has already beat him and really, can you market Fabricio Werdum as your heavyweight champion if he is able to pull off an upset? I think Mir needs to be thrown in there immediately as a contender for the heavyweight championship. Nogueira isn’t going to be a big draw on his own, but if Mir is the new “pro wrestling killer”, act on him now. I think people would pay to see Mir fight Nogueira. And if Mir were to win, you could always do the rematch between he and Silvia.

1. Tyson Griffin vs. Gleison Tibau

Really good first round. Griffin and Tibau were simply standing and trading punches. Griffin was getting the better of it standing, utilizing both straight rights and overhand rights. Tibau shot in and took him down, but they were both back up in the middle. Griffin was tagging him near the end of the first and it’s his round.

The second round wasn’t quite as fast paced as the first. Griffin was still winning the stand up game, but Tibau was able to take him down a few times. But he couldn’t keep him down. Even with the shorter reach, Griffin is still landing from the outside at will.

The third round was very much like the second. Tibau was able to take him down, but not do anything with him. Griffin was landing overhand rights pretty much at will. The fight ended with Griffin pushing Tibau up against the cage and foot stomping him.

Winner: Tyson Griffin by way of unanimous decision.

2. Ricardo Almeida vs. Rob Yundt

Almeida got a takedown and locked in a guillotine. Yundt tried to get up and fall forward on Almeida, but momentum took them completely over and they ended up in the exact same position. Yundt tapped.

Winner: Ricardo Almeida by way of first round submission.

3. Nate Marquardt vs. Jeremy Horn

Marquardt was landing some good shots and then took Horn down twice by underhooking him and taking him down with one arm. He was able to throw some bombs from the top, but Horn controlled him after that. Horn tries to get a shoulder lock near the end, but Marquardt gets out of it right before the end of the round.

Marquardt slipped early in the round and Horn got on top of him. They got back up and Horn shot in and pushed him up against the cage. Marquardt locked him in a guillotine and Horn tried to slip out by going to the mat, but Marquardt blocked him and cranked on the neck at the same time. Horn had to tap or risk his head being detached from his neck.

Winner: Nate Marquardt by way of second round submission.

4. Tim Boetsch vs. David Heath (taped from earlier in the night)

Boetsch simply owned him for the fight. Heath was able to land some punches in a flurry, but other than that, front kicks, knees, and overhand rights were landed at will by Boetsch. Late in the round, he threw him into the cage and Heath landed on top of his head and a few punches later, it was over.

Winner: Tim Boetsch by way of first round TKO.

5. Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar

Lesnar came out and immediately took him down. He was on top and throwing hammer punches from the top position. Mir turned his head and Lesnar hit him on the back of the head. The referee came between them and took a point away from Lesnar for hitting him in the back of the head. Back in the middle, Lesnar landed a punch and Mir pulled guard. Lesnar was on top again and landing. Mir was already bloody. Mir grabbed Lesnar’s leg and Lesnar turned into the knee bar and had to tap out. Great fight for what it was.

Winner: Frank Mir by way of first round submission.

6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia

Sylvia knocked Nogueira down early in the round and blanketed him. He let him back up and snapped his head back again. Nogueira went for a half-assed shot, but Sylvia ended up on top again. He let him up and then let him catch his breath. Nogueira ended up catching his breath and taking Sylvia down at the end of the round. But it was all Sylvia. Maybe even 10-8.

The second round was a boxing match. Rather than go after Nogueira, he let him get his breath back and it’s back to a striking match. Nog went for a single leg and didn’t get it. Nog landed a short left hook, but it was still Sylvia’s round.

In the third, Nogueira finally got the takedown, but Sylvia ended up on top. He swept Sylvia and immediately his guard into his half guard. Sylvia tried to get out, but got caught in a guillotine and immediately tapped.

Winner: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria by way of third round submission.

7. Chris Lytle vs. Kyle Bradley

Lytle came out swinging and landing. Bradley was so out of it that when the referee stopped it, Bradley pulled guard on the referee.

Winner: Chris Lytle by way of first round TKO.

8. Rob Emerson vs. Keita Nakamura

Emerson pretty much had his way with Nakamura by using good boxing and following up with counterpunches. Nakamura scored with a big knee that knocked Emerson down near the end of the round.

Second round was much of the same. Both guys landed many punches, but Nakamura got a takedown late in the second. But he’s also bleeding from an inadvertant elbow.

The guys were tired, but didn’t stop throwing punches. Nakamura got a takedown near the end of the round and ended up on top of Emerson when the fight was over.

Winner: Rob Emerson by way of split decision.

News and notes from around the MMA world …

- There are a ton of UFC 81 articles out there, most of which surround Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar wants to fight for the competition.
Both Lesnar and the UFC have a lot riding on UFC 81.
Mir’s comeback trail leads to Lesnar.
Dana White compares Frank Mir to B.J. Penn.
Mike Coughlin previews Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar.
Dave Meltzer has last minute weigh in notes.

- Shogun says he’s fighting Chuck Liddell next.

- Dana White asks Randy Couture to be a man.

- Mark Cuban thinks the The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000 will have to be adhered to by the UFC eventually.

Talking Points

Is Brock Lesnar the real deal? That question will be answered tomorrow evening when he does battle with Frank Mir. As you can tell by the links I posted above, most of the publicity surrounding this battle have to do with Lesnar and whether he can hang or not. If my prediction is right, then he will show that he’s the real deal. Frank Mir himself has stated in the past that he believes that if it lasts the full three rounds, he won’t be able win the decision. But he does think that he will get the better of the stand-up as well as be able to beat Lesnar on the ground. On the Countdown To UFC 81 show, there were highlights of Mir putting on sick submissions. If Lesnar’s strength is going to be his wrestling, wouldn’t taking Mir down mean that he’ll be set up for submissions? I think it comes down to a matter of who is in shape. Lesnar is going to be much stronger than Mir and Mir’s shot is to tire out Lesnar, weaken his defense, and get a submission locked on. If Lesnar outlasts him from a stamina standpoint, Mir is most likely going to tire out and his submissions will be far weaker. And if Lesnar outlasts him, I see Lesnar simply laying on top of him and pounding him. I think the first round will be important from Lesnar’s perspective in that it will be his first five minutes in the big time. He’ll be wide eyed and finally in the octagon for real. If he lasts the first five minutes, I think he’ll win the fight. Mir’s chance is to weaken Lesnar enough to be able to put him in a hold. Lesnar’s a big man and won’t be easy to maneuver.

There is an interim championship match, but it’s not the focus of the show. Tim Sylvia is facing Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Both men are battle tested, but one would think Sylvia’s size would be too much for Nogueira. That’s definitely going to be an issue, but Sylvia’s style is going to be a bigger issue. Randy Couture laid out the blue print in how to beat Sylvia. Get in close, use your inside strikes, take him down, be quicker and don’t be afraid to take a punch to land a punch. Nogueira’s wrestling isn’t as strong as Couture’s and he may not be as crafty a boxer as Couture either. So it’s going to come down to whether or not he’ll be able to frustrate Sylvia enough to where he’ll be able to use quickness to take him down. On the ground is his best bet, but Sylvia doesn’t go down easily. Sylvia also has good ground defense and utilizes his size to keep his foe away from him as far as possible. I don’t think Sylvia will be able to knock him out. But I do think he’ll be able to fight his fight and beat Nogueira by decision after five rounds. And if that’s the case, it’s going to be a boring match.

News and notes from around the MMA world …

- Frank Mir talks about how he’s going to beat Brock Lesnar.

- Adam Swift says that UFC 81 is getting the pro wrestling push.

- Dave Meltzer chronicles how well amateur wrestling champions have done in MMA.

- ESPN’s podcast center now lists Sherdog’s podcast.

- Could this be what The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 has to offer?

Talking Points

You have to give it to Dana White. He’s made Brock Lesnar’s debut into something that has a lot going for it. It’s the pro wrestler vs. the mixed martial artist and MMA fans do not want to see Lesnar win. Lesnar is playing it up perfectly as well. He’s the guy that doesn’t care that Mir is a former champion or that Mir broke Tim Sylvia’s arm. It just doesn’t matter to him. He just thinks he’s too big and too strong and will run rough shot over the heavyweight division. I’m sure that he respects the division and probably doesn’t really think it’s going to be easy, but that’s how you promote. That’s how you make a fight noteworthy.

The UFC has to want Lesnar to be victorious. He’s the one guy with star power in a division that has quality fighters, but none with real star power now that Randy Couture is gone. If Mir wins, he’ll get one more shot at Sylvia, but unless he truly dedicates himself to the sport and gets in shape, he’s simply going to be the former champion. With Lesnar, you have a guy who is probably at his athletic peak, who according to those in the know, picks up everything like a sponge. He has a good future ahead of him as long as he keeps improving and is a great story. He’s a legit amateur wrestling star who became a pro wrestling star and left pro wrestling while at the top of his game. He tried out for the NFL and with no college experience, made it through nearly all the cuts with the Minnesota Vikings before starting in MMA. Only Frank Mir right now, stands in his way.

News and notes from around the MMA world …

- Where does Matt Hughes go from here?

- Thales Laites is out of UFC 81 because of injury.

- Sam Caplan predicts his breakout stars for 2008.

- Adam Swift chooses his 2007 awards and summarizes 2007’s power players.

- Tank Abbott vs. Kimbo Slice is on for February.

- What’s next Mirko Cro Cop?

- Dave Meltzer recaps the business of 2007 and and foretells the business of 2008.

- How well do you know MMA? (I scored 7 out of 10. If you take the quiz, let me know your score in the comments section.)

- Guess who’s back, back again?

- It looks like Diego Sanchez is staying at welterweight.

- Look at how they are building up Brock Lesnar.

Talking Points

Two big MMA names are on prime time network television, and there’s not much buzz about it. Tito Ortiz is one of the contestants on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice and Gina Carano is a gladiator on American Gladiators. I missed the first episode of Celebrity Apprentice because of DVR difficulties, but I’ll be watching it from here on out. Based on previous episodes I’ve seen of the show, this is tailor made for Ortiz and he should do well. As for American Gladiators, based on the Sunday Night premiere (I haven’t watched Monday’s show yet), Carano isn’t really show cased and doesn’t stand out, but she is the prettiest of the female gladiators (though really, that’s not saying much). I’m interested to see how she does because by being natural looking, she’s not memorable right off the bat.

If you get the chance, make sure you check out the UFC 81 site that I linked above. There’s a trailer where they show Brock Lesnar with his WWE belt and in the hype video for Mir and Lesnar, they even talk about his pro wrestling background. I think it’s great that the WWE allowed the UFC to use the footage, and let’s face it, it probably helps WWE just as much as it does UFC to have WWE footage on UFC TV. I especially liked it when Lesnar called Mir, Frank Mur.